Pain and Mobility
10.3 Conditions and Diseases of Pain and Mobility
Several conditions that cause pain or inflammation can require the use of analgesics or musculoskeletal medication. Common disorders are briefly reviewed below.
Types of Pain
Acute pain
Acute pain usually comes on suddenly and is caused by something specific. It is sharp in quality. Acute pain usually does not last longer than six months. It goes away when there is no longer an underlying cause for the pain. Causes of acute pain include:
- Surgery
- Broken bones
- Dental work
- Burns or cuts
- Labor and childbirth
After acute pain goes away, a person can go on with life as usual.[1]
This type of pain can continue even after the injury or illness that caused it has healed or gone away. Pain signals remain active in the nervous system for weeks, months, or years. Some people suffer chronic pain even when there is no past injury or apparent body damage. Chronic pain is linked to conditions including:
- Headache
- Arthritis
- Cancer
- Nerve pain
- Back pain
- Fibromyalgia pain
- Phantom pain
People who have chronic pain can experience physical effects that are stressful on the body. These include tense muscles, limited ability to move around, a lack of energy, and appetite changes. Emotional effects of chronic pain include depression, anger, anxiety, and fear of reinjury. Such a fear might limit a person’s ability to return to their regular work or leisure activities.[2]
There are more types of pain including neuropathic pain, nociceptive pain, and cancer pain.
Other Conditions of Pain and Mobility
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia is a condition that causes pain all over the body (widespread pain), sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia. This is called abnormal pain perception processing. Fibromyalgia affects about 4 million US adults, about 2% of the adult population. The cause of fibromyalgia is not known, but it can be effectively treated and managed.[3]
The most common symptoms of fibromyalgia are the following:
- Pain and stiffness all over the body
- Fatigue and tiredness
- Depression and anxiety
- Sleep problems
- Problems with thinking, memory, and concentration
- Headaches, including migraines
Other symptoms may include:
- Tingling or numbness in hands and feet
- Pain in the face or jaw, including disorders of the jaw known as temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
- Digestive problems, such as abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, and even irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Known risk factors include:
- Age. Fibromyalgia can affect people of all ages, including children. However, most people are diagnosed during middle age
- Lupus or Rheumatoid Arthritis. Clients diagnosed with lupus or rheumatoid arthritis (RA) are more likely to develop fibromyalgia
Other factors that have been weakly associated with the onset of fibromyalgia include:
- Sex. Women are twice as likely